Sunlight and Shadow

By Cameron Dokey


In a time when the world was young and many things commonplace that are now entirely forgotten, the Mage of the Day, wed Pamina, the Queen of the Night, and this way was the world complete, for light was joined with darkness. Only the ending of time could tear them apart. In other words, in the days in which they were married, there was no such thing as divorce.

Thus begins the tale of Mina, a girl-child born on the darkest month of the year. When her father looked at her, all he saw was what he feared: By birth, by name, by nature, she belonged to the Dark. So when Mina turned sixteen, her father took her from shadow and brought her into sunlight.
In retaliation her mother lured a handsome prince into a deadly agreement: If he frees Mina, he can claim her as his bride.
Now Mina and her prince must endure deadly trials—of love fate and family—before they can truly live happily ever after…




This book was interesting as I started to read it, told from Mina’s point of view, then Lupins…then Statos, then Gayna, then Statos…holy freaking cow Cameron! It’s really hard to keep track of who’s talking and what’s going on, accordingly there isn’t much time for character development in this short novel. This story was lacking the usual deftness of Cameron’s other novels and really needed a larger scope if it was to be told in a better way. Too many P.O.V’s and shallow motives. Love at first sight I might believe if it’s backed with actions and real findings. It’s a tough sell for me though.

3 out of 5 for being average

The World Above

By Cameron Dokey


Gen and her brother, Jack, were raised with their mother’s tales of life in the World Above. Gen is skeptical, but adventurous Jack believes the tales and trades the family cow for magical beans. Their mother rejoices, knowing they can finally return to their royal home.
When Jack plants the beans and climbs the enchanted stalk, he is captured by the tyrant who now rules the land. Gen sets off to rescue her brother, but danger awaits her in the World Above. For finding Jack may mean losing her heart…


Oh, I liked this one. I wasn't too interested in a telling of Jack and the Beanstalk, but Cameron just seems to have quite the imagination for re-creating this timeless stories. Honestly, it felt more like a Robin Hood crossover with Jack and the Beanstalk simply mentioned. It was great fun to read and I enjoyed the heroine, practical Gen. The little love story was sweet and fun, but I've always been a sucker for Robin Hood...

The Storyteller's Daughter

By Cameron Dokey


In a faraway kingdom, a king has been betrayed. Deeply hut and bitterly angry, he vows he will not be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king’s plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm’s young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king—and surrender her life.
To everyone’s relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter of a legendary storyteller, Shahrazad believes it is her destiny to accept this risk and sacrifice herself.
On the night of her wedding to the king, Shahrazad begin to weave a tale. Fascinated, the king lets her live night after night. Just when Shahrazad dares to believe that she has found a way to keep her life—and an unexpected love—a treacherous plot will disrupt her plan. Now she can only hope that love is strong enough to save her.


I've never read Arabian Nights, but I knew the basic story of Shahrazad, and I really enjoyed this re-telling. The way the stories are told is fun, with them running their fingers over a length of fabric or cloth. I liked the stories embeded within the story that were akin to the simplistic fables you hear as a child, with adventure, sadness, and a moral to learn. This is a fun addition to the Once Upon a Time series.

Wild Orchid

By Cameron Dokey


Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidering needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons his army, each family must send a male to fight. Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call. She never expects to be hailed a hero, and to be granted the first wish of her heart...but can even the Son of Heaven, emperor of all China grant her heart's true desire?

Loved it! This made me want to go find the disney movie Mulan and watch it again. It's similar in a lot of ways, but just different enough to keep you reading and cheering for the girl who simply wants the freedom to be herself. This book was awesome because it wasn't just a story about a girl finding love, it was about a girl who was different and knew it, and had to find a way to be true to herself and learn that people who really love you will value what you are, not what they wish you to be. It was awesome...wait, did I already say that? Sorry. I think I want to own this one. Great story, fun characters, and depth.

Favorite Quote: "All of us hold something unexpected deep within ourselves. Something even we may not suspect or recognize. While our heart's rhythm may seem steady, so steady that we take it for granted, this does not mean the heart is not also full of wonders and surprises. That it beats in the first place may be the most surprisingly wonderful thing of all."

Winter's Child

By Cameron Dokey


Free-spirited Grace and serious kai are the best of friends. They grew up together listening to magical tales told to them by Grace’s grandmother and sharing in each other’s lives. But when they turn sixteen and Kai declares he loves Grace, everything changes. Grace yearns for freedom and slowly begins to push Kai- and their friendship away.
Dejected Kai dreams of a dazzling Snow Queen, who entices him to leave home and wander to faraway lands. When Grace discovers Kai is gone, she learns how much she has lost and sets out on a mystical journey to find Kai…and discover herself.


I really love the lesser known fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, entitled The Snow Queen. That's what this book is a re-telling of; so how could I resist? Once again, sorry for those of you who are getting tired of my fairy tale kick...it will be over soon, I promise!
Anyhow, while this book is pretty different from the original fairy tale, it is also quite fun to read. I was satisfied that the book turned out the way I wanted it to, and that Cameron didn't go along with what was expected. I found it difficult to connect with Grace in a lot of ways, but Kai was a lot easier to understand. I also adored the Winter Child, who felt more like the protagonist than Grace was. This is a fun one, though probably not a huge favorite in the Once Upon a Time series, but still a great one that I enjoyed reading.

Before Midnight

By Cameron Dokey


Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted when his wife dies in childbirth, and he cannot bear to see his infant daughter, La Cendrillon .But before he abandons her for king and life at court, Etienne brings a little boy, whose identity he does not reveal, to be raised alongside her.
La Cendrillon and the boy, Raoul, pass sixteen years in the servants’ care. Then Etienne remarries, sending his new wife to live at the estate.
When they all are invited to a great ball, La Cendrillon’s stepmother makes a decision that will lead La Cendrillon and Raoul to challenge their understanding of family, test their courage, and ultimately, teach them who they are.

So I've read about a billion Cinderella stories in my time, so I didn't really want to read this one, but heck I thought I'd read it anyway. It's different than any other story, it's got a werid sort of magic in it; and love at first sight is made real. I like how Cameron explains love at first sight because I admit, I'm not a believer. The weirdest thing happened though when I read this book; I got pretty close to the end and I knew what was going to happen. It was the biggest de ja vu I've had in a long time. I've either read this before, or something almost exactly like it, because it was no surprise what happened at the end. But it was still good. I enjoyed it.

Golden

By Cameron Dokey


Before Rapunzel’s birth, her mother made a deal with the sorceress Melisande that if she cold not love newborn Rapunzel just as she appeared, she would surrender the child to Melisande. When Rapunzel was born completely bald and without hope of ever growing hair, her horrified mother sent her away with the sorceress to an uncertain future.
After sixteen years of raising Rapunzel as her own child, Melisande reveals that she has another daughter, Rue, who was cursed by a wizard years ago and needs Rapunzel’s help. Rue and Rapunzel have precisely “two nights and the day that falls between” to break the enchantment. But bitterness and envy come between the girls, and if they fail to work together, Rue will remain cursed…forever.

This is such a great retelling of Rapunzel. I adored that Ms. Dokey made her bald. This is the story of Rapunzel as you've never heard it; and it is romantic and sweet and full of great characters and motivational moments. This is another favorite in the Once Upon a Time series.

Beauty Sleep

By Cameron Dokey


Cursed at birth, Princess Aurore is fated to prick her finger and sleep for one hundred years. To protect her Aurore’s parents forbid traditional princess activities like sewing and embroidering. Aurore instead wanders the kingdom’s grounds.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Aurore learns that the impending curse will harm her and the entire realm. Unwilling to cause suffering to the townspeople she knows and loves, Aurore embarks on a quest to end the evil magic. The princess’s bravery will be rewarded as she finds adventure, enchantment, a handsome prince, and ultimately, her destiny.


I'm sorry to all you out there who don't like fairytail retellings, but I've been on a kick lately, so I'm apologizing in advance for annoying any of you. They are fun and quick to read, and I'm having to read textbooks and other such things that are not of my choosing for my university classes right now, so sue me for wanting some fluff.
Anywho, if you can't tell, this is the story of sleeping beauty, but told with rich characters and a fantastic story to boot. I love this story and have to say that Cameron Dokey nearly always gets it right for me. The little love story is perfect and it was sweet enough to make me sigh in contentment and not gag on too much honey, or feel like covering my eyes from too much...ya know. If you like these retellings, try this one it's great.

How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year

By Cameron Dokey

Jo O'Connor has never finished a year of school in the same town. Her and her father have been constantly moving since she was about six years old. Jo has it down now. She doesn't even unpack her suitcases anymore. But when Jo finds out the reason why they move around so much, her life gets flipped upside down. She finally found a place that she wants to call home, and it's her senior year! But so many things go horribly wrong, and Jo finds herself running for prom queen...and everyone thinks she's dead!

This was actually a pretty funny book...in a high school kinda way. I was a little bored and disappointed. It could've been hilarious, but there was just too much immature drama going on. I admit that I did like the plot, but some things were just unrealistic. The whole part where everyone thinks she's dead and they keep seeing her "ghost" is pretty comical. But sadly, I don't reccomend this book. It was fluffy. 'Nuff said.

Belle

By Cameron Dokey

Certain that she has the wrong name, as she lacks the beauty of her two sisters, Belle dedicates her time to woodcarving and withdraws from society. Secretly, Belle longs to find the fabled Heartwood Tree, for if carved by the right hands, it will reveal one’s true love. During a strange storm, Belle’s father is lost and comes upon the Heartwood Tree, and upon a horrible beast. Now, Belle must carve the Heartwood tree at the Beast’s command, to save her father and to learn to see not with the eyes of her mind, but the eyes of her heart.

As far as fairy-tales turned into novels go, this one was a little disappointing, especially since it was about Beauty and the Beast, my favorite. It was a little drab to read, even though I had high hopes and pushed through to the end, which was far too quick to enjoy. The book focuses a lot on Belle’s feelings, but not enough on the romantic parts at the end of the book with the Beast. I adore other of Cameron Dokey’s books, but this one was a let-down. But to be fair, I expected something spectacular and I have read many adaptations of Beauty and the Beast.

Interesting Info: Cameron Dokey has written many adaptations of fairy tales, famous and less-known. Golden was my favorite, an adaptation of Rapunzel. And Beauty Sleep was also very fun to read, the retelling of Sleeping Beauty.